Automatic answering and recording telephone device



Sept. 20, 1932. I H. E. HUNTINGTON ET AL 1,878,778

AUTOMATIC ANSWERING AND RECORDING TELEPHONE DEVICE Filed March 3, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l /4i fi 3 git 36% 29 I i 4 g 48 I 1 39 67 5a o lk (9 C3 019' a; k 47' 7 '38 [I Sept. 20, 1932. H. E. HUNTINGTON ET AL 1,378,778

ATOMATIC ANSWERING AND RECORDING TELEPHONE DEVICE 7 Filed March 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1932 HARRIET E. HUNTINGTON, 01 LOS ANGELES, AND WILLIAM A. 3002, or wnnrma.

cnmronnm AUTOMATIC ANSWERING AND RECORDING TELEPHONE DEVICE Application filed March 3,

This invention relates to a combination of elements which results in a particularly ef fective form of device adapted to serve as an attachment to the'ordinary subscribers tele- 5 phone, for the purpose of automatically receiving and transmitting messages during the absence of the subscriber.

Numerous attempts have been'madeheretofore to devise devices commonly known 0 as telcgraphones for automatically responding to incoming telephone signals. In a few cases attempts have been made to devise means whereby the incoming telephone sig nal is answered and the incoming message recorded; but such prior devices have not been successful due to their complicated structure and inability to function positive- The main object of this invention is to disclose and provide an automatic answering and recording telephone device which may be readily attached to an ordinary dictaphone and a subscribers telephone, by means of which incoming telephone signals are automatically answered, a message reproducedvto the calling party and an incoming message recorded. In: this manner, the incoming messages may be reproduced at any desired time, for example, after the subscriber, returns to his home.

An object of this invention is to disclose and provide a simple and effective mechanism by means of which a single sound box is utilized for reproduction and recording purposes and automatically reset in reproduction position at the termination of every incoming call.

A 'stillfurther object is to disclose and provide a record carrier for use in an auto- A still further object is to disclose and promatic telephone answering and recording Another object is to disclose and provide 1930. Serial No. 432,681.

vide an automatic telephone answering and recording device which employs a record carrier having a plurality of sound recordings thereon, alternately spaced with sound receptive areas, said device being normally in reproducing position and adapted to automatically assume a recording position at the termination of the reproducing period.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one preferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that the specific embodimentsdescribed hereafter and disclosed in the appended drawings are merely illustrative and u the invention is not limited to the particular construction and combination of elements defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

operative relation to a customary form of telephone set.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the reproducing and recording device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken along the plane indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 2. i Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the preferred circuit employed-certain of the elements be- 'ing illustrated diagrammatically, said diagram showing the normal position of the de- 0 vice and itscorrelated parts.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the device and the wiring circuit, showing the arrangement of the parts immediately upon completion of the reproducing step and 35 at the beginning of the recording period.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of the device and wiring diagram at the termination of the reproducing period and before the device has returned toa normal position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the dictaphone device generally indicated at 1 may be provided with a bracket adapted-t0 receive a telephone standard 2. The telephone standard 2 may be provided with a clamp member?) adapted to hold the receiver 4 in position. The dietaphone device may be provided with a suitable bracket 5 adapted to hold a bifurcated sound horn 6 connected by means of a tube 7 Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device in 70 circuit of a dictaphone. The receiver hooks 10 and 13 are normally provided with springs adapted to maintain the telephone circuit and the motor drive circuit closed. As shown in the diagrammatic illustrations of the device (Figs. 4 to 6),-the lockin rod 12 may be provided with a tooth 14 a apted to engage a latch 15. The locking rod 12 may also be provided with a contact point 16.

The bellbox 17 of an ordinary telephone .set may be provided withan electrical contact 18 connected to one end of a solenoid coil 19, the other end being connected through the secondary of a transformer 20' through the clapper 21 of the bell box .17. The primary of the transformer 20 may be connected to a source of electrical energy, such as for example, a normal 110 volt circuit.

An incoming signal which causes the clapper 17 to vibrate closes the circuit when it contacts with the point 18, thereby energizing the solenoid coil 19, causing the core member 22 to be drawn into the coil thereby closing the switch 23. The switch 23 is connected by means of a lead wire '24 to thesource of electrical energy, the other leg of the circuit, namely, the lead. wire 25, being connect 7 ed to an electromagnet 26, which in turn is connected to the power line by lead wire 25'.

Whenthe switch 23 is thusiclosed by an incoming signal, the electromagnet 26 is energized, pulling the latch 15 off the lug 14 on the locking bar 12, and thus permitting the bar 12 to rise. Suitable spring means may be emplo ed to facilitate the upward movement of t 'e lock'bar 12, such upward movement raisin the receiver hook 10 as well asthe dictap one hook 13, thereby closing the telephone circuit indicated at 27, as

well as the motor switch 28 which permits the motor M to operate. I

It isto be understood that the motor M is operably connected to the driving mechanism of the dictaphone 1, thereby driving the record carrier 9 and the movable carriage 29 which carries the sound box 8 of the dictaphone. Precise details of this driving mechanism need not be described, as they are'normally employed in the devices now in use and form no part of this invention.

The'record carrier 9 is provided with a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternate ly spaced with sound receptive areas. The sound recordings are indicated in Fig. 2'at some 31; the alternate sound receptive areas with a mandrel 35 on which the record carrier 9 is positioned. The carriage 29 may also include an internally threaded sleeve. 36 in operative engagement with the threaded shaft 34, the sleeve 36 being connected by means of a yoke 37 with a guide rod 38, the lower end of the yoke 37 being in sliding contact with the guide rod 38. Attached to the yoke 37 may be a bracket 39 supporting a frame 40. Said frame 40 may carry two solenoid coils 41 and 42 positioned on a movable core member 43. Said movable core member may be pivotally connected to a single-pole, singlethrow switch arm 44 and to a single-pole, double-throw switch arm 45. The switch arm 45 may be pivotally connected to the frame 40 as indicated at 46, and pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 47 as indicated at 48. The bell crank lever 47 may be conf nected to the movable core member 43 by means of a link 49.

The bell crank member 47 may be pivotally mounted on the collar or sleeve 36 and terminate in a lower extension 50. The lower end CI 50 of the bell crank lever 47 may be connected by means of a link 51 of a lever 52 pivotally connected to the carriage 29 as indicated at 53. The free end of the lever 52 may be pivotally connected to a gooseneck 54 extending into the sound box 8 and constituting a variable contact device.

For-example, the. gooseneck 54 may be provided with suitable diaphragms and a reproducing stylus 55 and arecording stylus 56. It will thus be seen that movement of the movable core member 43 may cause a pivotal motion of the bell crank lever- 47 about the sleeve 36, therebycausing the lever 52 to pivoton the point 53 and bring either thereproducing stylus 55 or the recording stylus 56 in operative contact with the record carrier 9.

The panel or frame 40 may tact point 57 with which the switch arm 44 is adapted to contact. The panel 40 may also carry contact points 58 d 59 with which the double-throw switch 45 is adapted to concarry a con- Ill tact. Extending under the bracket 39 of the movable carriage 29 is a frame member 60 provided with a plurality of contact points 61, 62, 63 and the like. The contact points 61. 62, 63 and. the like are preferably in 'alinement with or correlated to the junctures other hand, may be correlated with the juncture between the sound receptive area 32 and the reproducible record portion 31. It is to be understood that the contact points 61, 62, 63 and the like are mounted in a suitabe insulating member 64 attached to the frame as by means of screws 65.

The bracket portion 39 of the carriage 29 may be provided with a switch arm 66 depending therefrom, said switch arm 66 being adapted to come in sliding contact with the contact points 61, 62, 63 and the like.

Switch arm 66 may be made of flexible ma-' leg of the source of electrical energy as by' means of a line 71.

Normally, the reproducing stylus 55 is in contact with the record carrier 9, for example, at the beginning of the sound recording indicated in the area 30. After the coming signal has closed the circuit by means of the clapper 21 andthe contact. point"18 .and the switch 23 has been closed so as to energize electromagnet 26, thereby releasing the latch 15 and permitting the locking rod 12 to rise, thus closing the telephone circuit and the motor circuit, the reproducible recording in the area 30 will be transmitted to the transmitter of the telephone set 2 through the conduit connection 7 and the horn 6.

As the movable carriage 29 progresses towards the junctureof the reproducible area 30 and the sound receptive area 32, the movable switch arm 66 carried by the carriage 29 moves from contact point 61 toward contact point 62. As the juncture between the reproducible and sound'receptive areas is reached, the switch arm 66 contacts 'with the contact point 62. When contact is made between the switch arm 66 and contact point 62, an electrical connection is made from line through line 72 to the coil 42, which is connected in turn to contact point 58 and the circuit closed .by means of the switch'45. Coil 42, thus energized, causes the movable core 43 to advan'ce toward the right (Figs. 3 and 4) thus causing the bell crank lever 47 to pivot and pull the lever 52 downwardly by means of link 51; The recording needle 56 is thus brought incontact with the record carrier 9. Simultaneously, the switch arm 45 pivots on point 46 and contacts with the point 59. Goncurrently therewith, the cut-oflf switch 44contacts with pointv57. Fig. 4 illustrates the circuit after the hereinabove described movement has taken place, and the recording stylus 56 is in contact with the record carrier 9. It will thus be seen that the coil 42 has been energized for only a very short period of time,

and as soon as the movable core member 43 has advanced, the circuit energizing the coil 42 is broken by means of the double-throw switch 45.

The recording stylus .56 then advances through the receptive area 42 and sound emitted by the receiver 4 is conducted through the conduit 7 to the sound box 8 and there transformed intolvibrations which are recorded on a the record carrler 9. If desired, an amplifier A may be inserted in the telephone circuit so asto amplify the current supplied to the receiver 4 and thus insure a suflicient volume of sound to record properly on the record carrier 9.

The contact points 61, 62 and 63 and the like are alternately connected to one of the coils 41 and 42. For example, points 61, 63,

'etc., maybe connected by means of line 73 to the coil 41 and to the cut-off switch 44, whereas the intermediate points such as point 62, are

connected by means of line 72 with coil 42.

' The opposite end of coil 42 is connected to the contact point .58, whereas .the opposite end of/coil 41 is connected to contact point 59.

' Fig. 6 represents an unstable condition of the wiring circuit when the movable switch arm 66 mounted on the movable carriage 29 contacts with point- 63. As soon as contact is made with point 63, a circuit is closed including line 7 0, switch arm 66, contact'point 63, line 73, coil 41. contact point 59, switch 45 and line 71. -Concurrently therewith, a circuit is closed including line 70, switch 66, line 73', switch 44, line 74, coil 75 and switch 16, wh ch is connected by line 76 to the supply.

The coil 75 is adapted to act upon the movable locking rod or bar 12. In other words,

closure of the circuit by switch arm 66 coopcrating with the contact point 63 energizes coil 41, thereby causing the movable core member 43 to move toward the left, and simultaneously closes the circuit which energizes coil 75. Energization of coil 75 causes the locking bar 12 to move downwardly past the latch 15. thus opening the inotor circuit by means of switch 28 and the telephone cir- 1 I cuit 27. These motions replace the reproducmg needle 55 in contact with the record carrier 9, stop the motor drive to the carriage and record car-rier,and simultaneously open the telephone circuit, locking 'the device in position by means of latch 15 and in condition to receive a subsequent incoming call. f

It will thusbe seen that means have been provided for closing the telephone circuit and energizing thedrivingmeans, such as the motor M, by meansof anincoming signal and for moving the reproducing and recording stylus alternately into operative engagement with a record carrier in timed relation to the movement of the carriage on which the styli are mounted. Furthermore, means have been provided, actuated by the con-joint action of the stylus moving means and the movement of the carriage for disconnecting the driving means and for replacing the reproducing stylus on said record carrier at the termination of a sound receptive area on said record carrier.

Details of construction have not been embodied herein, as any worker skilled in the relatively short" in comparison with the i sound receptive areas 32 and 33, or they may be relatively long in comparison therewith. The distance which it is desired to space the various contact points 61, 62, 63 and the like will be dependent entirely upon the length.

of message which it is desired to receive and the length of the message which it isdesired to transmit.

Furthermore, although a cylindrical type of record carrier 9 has been disclosed, the invention is not limited thereto, but may be readily adapted to a disc type of record carrier, only minor modifications being necessarily made; All such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims are, therefore, embraced there- We claim:-

1. In an automatic answering and recording telephone device including a telephone circuit, the combination of a rotatable recordcarrier having a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternately spaced with sound recepti e areas, a movable carriage provided wit a sound box and a recording stylus and a reproducing stylus, driving means for rotating said record carrier and simultaneously moving said carriage to effect reproducing and recording movement between said record carrier. and said Styluses, means actuated by the telephone signal for closing the telephone circuit and energizing said driving means, and means for moving said stylusesalternately into operation with said record carrier in timed relation with the movement of said carriage with respect to said record carrier and in timed relation to the reproducible recordings thereon.

2. In an automatic reproducing'and recording device including a telephone circuit,

the combination of a rotatable record car-..

rier having a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternately spaced with sound receptive areas; a movable carriage provided with a sound box, a recording stylus and a repro ducing stylus; sound conducting means connecting said sound box with the receiver and transmitter of a telephone, driving means for rotating said record carrier and simultaneously moving said carriage to efiect reproducing and recording movement between said record carrier and'said styluses, means for moving said Styluses alternately into operative engagement with said record carrier in timed relation to the movement of said carriage with respect to said record carrier and in timedrelation to the reproducible recording thereon, and means actuated by con-joint action of said stylus moving means and movement of said carriage for disconnecting said driving means, opening the tele phone circuit and replacing the reproducing stylus on said record carrier at the termination of a sound receptive area on said record carrier.

'3. The combination with a subscribers telephone set of means for reproducing an outgoing message and recording an incoming message, said means-comprising a rotatable record carrier having a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternately spaced with sound receptive areas; a movable carriage provided with a sound box having a recording stylus and a reproducing stylus; driving means for rotating said record carrier and simultaneously moving said carriage to-efiect reproducing and recording movement between said record carrier and said styluses;

means actuated by the telephone signal for closing the telephone circuit and energizin saiddriving means, means for moving said styluses alternately into operative engagement with said record carrier in timed relation to the movement of said carriage with respect to said record carrier, and in timed relation to the reproducible recordings there'- on, and means actuated by the con-joint action of said stylus moving means and movement of said carriage for disconnecting said driving means, for opening the telephone circuit and replacing the reprcducing'stylus on said record carrier at the termination "of a sound receptive area on said record carrier.

4. The combination with a subscribers telephone set of means for 'reproducingLan outgoing message and recording an incoming message, said means comprising a record carrier having a plurality of reproducible recordings thereon spaced by sound receptive areas, a movable carriage provided with a sound box, a recording stylus and a reproducing stylus; driving means for rotating-said record carrier and simultaneously moving said carriage to effect reproducing and-re-.

cording movement between said record car-- rier and said styluses, means actuated by the telephone signal for closing the telephone said record carrier, said means including two 7 coils positioned 011 a movable core member operably connected to said variable contact device, a double-throw single-pole switch operated by movement of said movable core member and adapted to connect either of said coils with a source of electrical energ a cutoff switch operated by said mova le core member adapted to open the telephone circuit, a plurality of stationary contact points in spaced relation to each other and correlated to jinctures of reproducible and sound receptive areas on said record carriers, said points being alternately connected'to one of said coils, alternate points being connected to said cut-01f switch, and a switch arm carried by said carriage and connected to a source of electrical current and adapted to cooperate with said stationary contact points in sequence to close an electric circuit to either of said coils and effect movement of said core member,- whereby said variable contact device is placed into operative engagement with said record carrier in timed relation to the'movement of said carriage with respect to said record carrier, and whereby the cut-oil switch energized.

is closed every time one of said coils is 5. In an automatic answering and record-- cording means for producing sound from the recorded area and thereafter recording sound on the receptive area of a section, and means responsive to successive telephonesignals to operatively associate said reproducing and recording means with successive sections on said record..

6. In an automatic answering and record ing device for. attachment to asubscribers telephone set, a single record having a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternately spaced with sound receptive areas, a movable carriage provided with a'reproducing stylus and a recording stylus, driving means for rotating said record and simultaneously moving said carriage, first means comprising an electric circuit including a movable contact on said carriage and a plurality of stationary contacts for applying said reproducing stylus tosaid record, and second means comprising an. electric circuit including said movable contact and a second set of stationary contacts for applying said recording stylus to said record, said statlonary contacts being positioned to apply said reproducing stylus to the recorded portions of said record and to apply-the recording stylus to the sound receptive areas.

7. In an automatic answering and recording devlce for attachment to a subscribers telephone set, a single record having a plurality of sound recordings thereon alternately spaced with sound receptive areas, a

'movable carriage provided with a reproducing stylus and a recording stylus, driving means for rotating said record and simultaneously moving said carriage, an electrical contact attached to said carriage and adapted to move therewith, a series of stationary contacts with which said movable contact closes successively, means comprising an electric circuit including a movable contact and any one of alternate stationary contacts for placing said recording stylus in operative relation with said record, means comprising an electric circuit including said movable contact and any one of the remaining stationary contacts for placing said reproducing stylus in operative relation with said record, means responsive to a telephone signal for starting said driving means, and means comprising an electrical circuit including said movable contact and one of said remaining fixed contacts for stopping said driving means.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif. this 6th day of February 1930.- HARRIET E. HUNTINGTON.

WILLIAM A. BOOZ. 

